Though long associated with Easter, George Frideric Handel’s oratorio masterpiece, “Messiah,” has increasing become a staple of the Christmas season.
The Colorado Symphony has offered performances of it more or less annually, with a nuanced version in 2008, led by guest conductor Bernard Labadie, especially standing out.
If the orchestra’s performance of the popular work Wednesday evening did not live up to the artistic level of those concerts two years ago, it had some significant attractions of its own.
For the first time, the orchestra moved its presentation of “Messiah” from Boettcher Concert Hall into the handsome, neo-Gothic sanctuary of Montview Presbyterian Church in the Park Hill neighborhood.
The smaller, more intimate room, which was filled to capacity with an audience of 765 people, was much closer to the kind of environment in which the oratorio debuted in Dublin in April 1742.
Even more appealing than the pleasing visual ambience, which included standing electric candelabra at the end of every second pew, were the church’s rich, reverberant acoustics.
In Boettcher, the orchestra typically has to amplify the soloists and the Colorado Symphony Chorus because of the huge scale of the venue and its dull, muddy sound.
But Wednesday, the natural, unamplified singing of the chorus filled the room and enveloped listeners in sound — an electrifying aural experience that is simply not possible in Boettcher.
The chorus, superbly prepared by director Duain Wolfe and his assistant, Mary Louise Burke, was the unquestioned star of the evening, delivering suitable measures of power and poignancy as required.
Although a few sections dragged, associate conductor Scott O’Neil did a capable job overall leading the 19-member ensemble, a size in keeping with Handel’s original orchestration.
Deserving special mention were trumpeters Justin Bartels and Patrick Tillery, whose ringing tone and sharp technique lit up “The trumpet shall sound.”
The only disappointment was the mixed quality of the soloists. The clear standout was baritone Robert Gardner, who brought a sense of drama and immediacy to his sections.
And next year, would it be asking too much for the symphony to spring for printing the full text in the program? Many people enjoy following the oratorio’s well-known scriptural passages.
Kyle MacMillan: 303-954-1675 or kmacmillan@denverpost.com
“messiah”
Classical music. Montview Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St. The Colorado Symphony moves this classic work out of Boettcher Concert Hall into a more intimate neighborhood setting. Also featured are the Colorado Symphony Chorus and soprano Yulia Van Doren, mezzo-soprano Jamie Van Eyck, tenor Marc Molomot and baritone Robert Gardner. 5:30 p.m. Sunday. $65- $85. The concert is sold out, but some turned- back tickets could be available at the door. 303-623-7876 or
